Safe and Sound

FIRST AMERICAN

FIRST AMERICAN is an NCUA-insured credit union started in 1962 and currently based in Casa Grande, AZ. Regulatory filings show the credit union having assets of $87.7 million, as of December 31, 2017.

Thanks to the work of 34 full-time employees, the credit union currently holds loans and leases worth $60.6 million. Its 17,046 members currently have $71.3 million in shares with the credit union.

Overall, Bankrate believes that, as of December 31, 2017, FIRST AMERICAN exhibited a significantly below-average condition, earning 1 out of 5 stars for safety and soundness. Here's a look at how the credit union did on the three important criteria Bankrate used to grade American credit unions.

THE INSTITUTION'S SCORE

Capital Score

When it comes to measuring an institution's financial strength, capital is essential. It works as a bulwark against losses and as protection for members during periods of economic trouble for the credit union. From a safety and soundness perspective, the more capital, the better.

FIRST AMERICAN received a score of 6 out of a possible 30 points on our test to measure the adequacy of a credit union's capital, below the national average of 15.65.

FIRST AMERICAN had a capitalization ratio of 6.00 percent in our test, lower than the average for all credit unions, a sign that it could be less resilient in a crisis than its peers.

Asset Quality Score

Bankrate uses this test to estimate the effect of troubled assets, such as unpaid mortgages, on the credit union's capitalization and allocated loan loss reserves.

A credit union with extensive holdings of these types of assets may eventually be forced to use capital to absorb losses, diminishing its buffer of equity. It also means that there are likely to be many assets that are in non-accrual status and thus aren't earning interest for the credit union, reducing earnings and elevating the chances of a failure in the future.

FIRST AMERICAN scored 32 out of a possible 40 points on Bankrate's asset quality test, coming in below the national average of 38.09.

Troubled assets made up 0.00 percent of FIRST AMERICAN's total assets in our test, below the national average and suggestive of superior financial strength compared to other credit unions.

Earnings score

A credit union's ability to earn money has an effect on its long-term survivability. Earnings can be retained by the credit union, increasing its capital buffer, or be used to address problematic loans, likely making the credit union more resilient in tough times. Credit unions that are losing money, however, are less able to do those things.

FIRST AMERICAN scored 0 out of a possible 30 on Bankrate's test of earnings, coming in below the national average of 10.11.

One sign that FIRST AMERICAN is doing better than its peers in this area was its earnings ratio of 0.00 percent in our test, better than the average for all credit unions.

Bankrate.com's Safe & Sound Ratings provide a star rating system to evaluate the current financial status of financial institutions. The information gathered about banks, credit unions and thrifts is updated as set forth in the Terms of Use of Safe & Sound Ratings and Reports. The Safe & Sound Ratings information is grouped by categories of banks, thrifts and credit unions.

Scoring methodology

Bankrate.com evaluates the financial condition of institutions and assigns a one- to five-star rating for each with five stars representing the highest rating. Institutions with satisfactory performance will generally receive a rating of three or more stars. The majority of institutions fall into the three- to four-star range. An institution with an "NR" rating may be too new to rate or may have limited the publicly available information in their regulatory filings. The "NR" is not an indication of financial strength or weakness. The Safe & Sound rating is believed to be reliable, but the information is not guaranteed. In addition, events since the information was collected may have altered the institution's financial condition.

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